Synthetic gum and process of making same



Patented Mar. 13, 19 23.

inarr' as ast- .TNT or c,

JAMES MOINTOSH, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO DIAMOND STATE FIBRE COMPANY, OF ELSMERE, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SYNTHETIC GUM AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns McINTosu, a citizen of the United States, residing in .Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented Synthetic Gum and Processes of Making Same, of which the following is a specification.

()neobjec-t of my invention is to provide a material which in. one of its forms shall 10 be available for use as a varnish, shall possess high electrical insulating qualities, shall be water and oil proof, structurally strong, and which in another of its forms shall be hard, durable, substantially in fusible and capable of being mechanically worked for the purpose-of forming it into various shapes and articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, commercially practical prricess for manufacturing the above'materia The process devised by. me involves or consists of a condensation reaction between a phenolic body or its homologuesand a ketoneflin the presence of a suitable catalytic or condensing agent.

In carrying out my invention in a typical case. I prepare a mixture of phenol or a phenolic body, a ketone, and a catalytic agent, placing this in a suitable vessel, to which is attached arefluxcondenser and boiling it for from'twelve to fourteen hours. The materials above specified are employed in the proportion of approximately one molecule of a ketone such as acetone,

methylethylketone, diethylketone, two molecules of phenol, and a suitable catalytic agent such as sulphuric acid, bromine, sulphur, monochloride, pyridine,anilinehydro- 40 chloride, etc. 1

If an excess of acetone is used, it maybe -removed by distillation at the termination of the reaction and I have found that it is advisable although not necessary to use such 15 an excess of acetone since it appears to aid the reaction. d

While I have noted'in a typical case that the materials are .to be boiled for from twelve to fourteen hours, it is to be understood 0 that this time will depend upon the character and quantity of the catalytic agent as well as upon the ratio of the ketone to the phenol ;it being understood that the reaction can be accelerated by heat and pressure.

material such as acetone, alcohol, benzine,

Application filed May 27, 1920., Serial No. 384,602.

The resulting gummy mass may be further condensed so as to cause it to assume its solid form by subjecting it in an oven to a temperature of from 120 deg. to 130 deg. C. for from ten to twelve hours and the resulting product is a gum, usually yellow or orange in color, having a 'melting point of about 80 deg C. and possesses a high luster, being especially valuablelas a shellac substitute. It is soluble in alcohol, benzol, acetone, amyl, acetate and other organic solvents, although it is insoluble in water.

I have found further that the gum derived from the condensation of a ketone and a phenolic body as above described may be further condensed or transformed into *an infusible resin by adding to it various percentages of hardening agents such as hexamcthylenetetramine, sodium-acetone-bisulphide, benzidine,acetone, ammonia condensations with ketonic bodies, diacetoneamine, triacetoneamine, triacetonediamine, etc. p p

In .order to turn the gum over into the infusible state it is dissolved in a suitable or the like, in proportions of one hundred" parts of said gum to fifty parts of-solvent, in the present case acetone. To this is added five parts of a hardening agent, e. g.,-- hexainethylenetetramine and the whole is thoroughly mixed. The solvent is then removed by distillation and the resulting compound is subjected to the action of heat and pressure whereupon it becomes an 1nfusible resin. In its liquid or plastic state the condensation product above described is particularly adapted for use as a binder in the manufacture of electrical insulating material and may be produced in the form of sheets. tubes, rods, etc., having for its base parchmentized fibre, paper or fabric.

In thus utilizing the gum, it is first dis solved in a solvent such as acetone and is caused to impregnate the fabric or fibre. 100 The solvent is then evaporated by the appli cation of a suitable heat'and the impregnated sheets are placed one upon the other in a hydraulic press, where they are subjected to a pressure of approximately? one thousand 1 pounds to the square inch at the temperature of steam at a pressure ofone hundred and twentyt-five pounds to the square inch. The resulting mass is a hard-Water-proof material cap-able of withstanding a temperature 11 of 150 deg. F. without softening and may be readily machined, punched, drilled or otherwise shaped.

I claim': i l. 'A synthetic gum'consisting of a condensation product in the approximate proportion of 2 parts of a phenol and one part of a ketone. '2. A-synthetic gum consisting of a condensation product of a phenol and a ketone,

polished, sawed,

I having a yellowish color, a melting point of approximately 8O deg. (3., soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in water.

3. The-process which consists in causin a condensation reaction between a pheno and a ketone in the presence of a catalytic agent in the proportionfof approximately two molecules of the phenol and one molecule of the ketone. v

4. The process which consists in boiling a mixture of a phenol, a ketone and a catalytic agent for from twelve to fourteen hours;

and treating the resulting mass with a solvent. 5.,The process which consists in heating a phenol, acetone and a catalytic agent to cause a condensation reaction, the acetone being in excess of one part to twoof the ,phenol.

I gum; and adding uct; subjecting the resulting condensation product to heatto form a solid synthetic to said gum a hardening agent-to cause 1t to assume an infusible" form. p v

8. The process which consists in causing a mixture of a phenol, a ketone and a catalytic agent to react to form a condensation product; heating said product to remove .the uncomb'ined phenolic body and'cause the product to assume a solidform; dissolving the resulting solid in a liquid; adding a hardening agent to said liquid; and thereafter further condensing the liquid to cause -it'to become an infusible solid gum.

9. The process which consists in causing a mixture of a phenol, a ketone and a catalytic agent to react toform a condensation product heating said product to remove the uncombined phenolic body and cause it "to assume a solid form; dissolving the resulting solid in a liquid; adding ahardening agent to said liquid; and thereafter treating the liquid to cause it to become an infusible solid gum, by subjecting it to the action of heat and pressure.

a mixture of a phenol and a ketone to undergo a condensation reaction;'heating the resulting product to cause it to assume a solid form; dissolving approximately one hundred parts of said gum in approximately fifty parts of a solvent; adding to the solution approximately five parts of a hardening agent; thereafter subjecting the liquid to'the action of heat and pressure to change it into an infusible gum.

' JAMES MoINTO-SH.

10. The process which consists in 'causing 

